A North Texas fitness instructor threw her first punch outside of a boxing ring to get her purse back from a thief.
Juliette Sweda said the woman surprised while she was loading groceries into the back of her sport utility vehicle at Central Market on East Lovers Lane on Monday morning.
“I’m shutting the door, and I turn around and here’s a woman -- probably around 5 [feet] 7 [inches] with long dreadlocks -- opening my door, reaching in and grabbing my bag,” Sweda said.
The boxer and boot-camp instructor grabbed the woman by the hair and chased her to a getaway car that was parked one row over.
“I’m trying to stop her, I’m on top of [her], and I’m like, 'I’m getting my bag back,'” Sweda said.
“It was a natural reaction -- I just threw my power punch, yes, I did,” she said.
Sweda said it didn't take long for the woman to realize she wasn't going down without a fight.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“I’m in shape," she said. "I did what I did -- which was crazy -- but for any other woman, they wouldn't stand a chance."
Dallas police said Sweda is lucky the woman didn't run Sweda over or seriously injure her.
In March, 76-year-old Sabra Leavy was killed after she was run over in a Walmart parking lot when she wouldn’t let go of her purse.
